The
RL class (below) belongs to Cootes Industrial (Rail),
SouthSpur Rail Services. They are relatively new units
on the rail scene. They were built at Islington here
in Adelaide and are mainly found on ballast workings,
usually up north, across to the west and down this
way. They mainly work out of Whyalla, perhaps their
base, as are large stockpiles of ballast thereat.

RL307, 303 1MR1 near Two Wells. 28-06-2009(Greg O'Brien)

RL307, 303 1MR1 Korunye Xing. 28-06-2009(
Greg O'Brien)

Unusual
shot of 1MR1
28-6-2009

A
dedicated railfan does the balancing
act
on car to get that
special train shot. (Wayne
Morris)

RL307, 303 1MR1 near the 60k post
Two Wells
side of Mallala. 28-06-2009(
Wayne Morris)

LDP001 is an Inter Rail or QRN unit which has been over here for a couple runs now. It usually works the AM6 / MA6 service between Adelaide – Melbourne – Adelaide with loading that then connects with the AP1 / PA1 services to Perth – Adelaide – Perth.(
Greg O'Brien)

Patricks 1872 which has a regular partner of 1873,
(shown below) which must be in for service on this occasion.
It is coupled with DL48 and regulars on the Balco from
Bowmans.(
Greg O'Brien)

TNO2117 1872, DL48 Gillman. 06-07-2009

1873
at Balco siding Bowmans.
26th
January 2005. (
Greg O'Brien)

Another of the same / similar class,
NA1874, 872, GM37, lean in on the curve at Redhill Monday 11th December 2006.
It was a regular on the Silverton South Spur ballast workings.
Originally from the West I believe. (872 incidentally is one of the original 830’s from the former SAR
Eyre Peninsula Division)(
Greg O'Brien)

Train No 2MR1 NA1874, 872, GM37,
Redhill_11-12-2006

1873 Balco 1872 trailing. 18-10-2006.

Another
of the Balco with 1873 leading and 1872
trailing was once the common thing to do. It
is at Dry Creek North with the new Mawson
Lakes bridge / rail interchange in the
background. (
Greg O'Brien)

Train No 6117 Balco, Friday 6th May, 2005. 1872 1873 work as a paired unit crossing the Port River bridge at Ethelton.
Location wise, this is a scene no longer able to be repeated.
(
Greg O'Brien)

K205 K210 K206 English electric Western Australian K class work TNo 6MR1 as they drop ballast north of Snowtown Friday 22nd April 2005.
(
Greg O'Brien)

The Balco train has attracted a variety of motive power since it started operations from
Bowmans. This series of shots includes GM10 which was on lease to Balco operations.
It belonged to Southern Shorthaul Railroad and is seen at various locations .

(Greg O'Brien)

T/No 4117 Balco with GM10 at Birkenhead 1872 is the trialing unit. Wednesday 7th September 2005.

T/No 2117 GM10 Balco in a rather rural setting at Direk on Monday 14th November, 2005. Again 1872 is trailing unit.

On Saturday the 21st October, 2006 it was not unusual to see FA green G’s on the SCT Pacific National hauled MP9 service.
On this occasion though it included freshly painted 8160 and CLCLA’s GL107 and was worthy of
railfanning. We picked it up at Dudley Park as T/No 6MP9 G528 G526 8160 GL107 and then to Islington where it performed the
shunt. For one small fleeting moment there we thought 8160 was going to lead, but alas not.
This train departed Islington as G528 G526 and 8160 and includes another rural shot near
Snowtown. At Coonamia, on the double track near Port Pirie, it did the “switcheroo” of locomotives with the 5PM9 service.
8160 went back on this train and was sighted at Crystal Brook as T/No 5PM9 G519 8160 G530.
The FA (Freight Australia or PacNat units as this lot were) G class units were originally VLine units.